Door latch



J. woRLEY, JR

July 13 DooR LATCH Filed Sept. 2 1. 1925 Patented July. 13, 1925.A

UNITED stares JOHN`WORLEY, JR., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

' LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNA, A lCORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

DOOR

'LATCH Applicationziled September 21,- 1925. Serial No. 57,589.

This invention relates generally to latches for lockers, cabinets and the like, and is more particularly concerned with,l though not limited to, latchingmechanism for doors of relatively small lockers or boxes wherein a single ,oscillatory latching element, pivoted on the inner side-of the door, is adapted to engagea keeper on the door traine and thereby releasably hold the door closed.

- In a co-pending application for patent or door latch, No. 714,324, led May 19, 1924, by Elmer L. Vreeland and myselfas joint inventors, is shown a latcho' this general description, there being a` handle .extension on the latch which extends through a suitable openingto the outer face of the door. The handlev is of such weight that is normally retains the latch in latching position, and is utilized to rock` the latch about its pivot to release it from engagement withthe keeper. p y

In the present invention, the latch handle is formed and bent `in such a manner that,

though there is no increase in the size of weight thereof, it is better able to withstand Y ordinary wear yor tear or even abusive treatment, within reasonable limits.. Furthermore, it is of a nature to defeat all ordinary attempts to Vspring the Llatch from engagement with thev keeper by pressure directed laterally against the handle at the outside of the door. The advantages ot such feav tures are self-evident.

ofV Fig.. .4.

Further objects and featuresv of novelty will be apparent from the following description, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a boX locker equipped vwith an embodiment of my invenion; I Y Fig. 2 is anenlarged section on line 2-2 of Fig.`1, the latch, however, being shown entirely in elevation; n Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showr ing the latch moved out of engagement with its keeper; l

Fig. 4 is a view showing the inner face of the locker door withits associated latch mechanism, oneV of the side walls of the locker beingsliown in section; and Y Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5,-5

In the drawings, Ihave illustrated the latch associated Vwith a locker box made upk Assia-mon 'ro` wonLnY a co., on"

within the scope of' the broader claims to arrange the latch so that itis adapted to engage the keeper from other sides, or so it may operatively engage keepers other than those of the particular formillustrated. v l

The door tramelO, to which the side door and bottom plates P and vertical angle irons 12 and13. Door of the locker are secured, consists of horizontal angle irons 11 14 is made up Yof yplate 15 having inwardly f turned marginal flange 16 'and is hinged to frame iron 13 at 17. The flange-at the/openi ing side of the door is designatedras 16'. Keeper 18 is secured to frame iron 12 at 19 and has a portionf20 which parallels flange 16" when the door is closed (see Fig. 5), a bar 21 extending across the 'inner edge of said flange.

Oscillatory latch 23 includes a body poi'- tion 24 which'is kpivotally connected at 25 to the inner side ot flange 16a, to oscillatevertically in aplane adjacent and substantially parallel to they plane of said flange. y upwardly opening mouth 27, handle 28 and locky element 29. Nose 30 of Vhook 26 has a cani face'31, while notch 32 in thelower edge of the handle provides opposed stop shoulders 33, 34. The handle inclines outwardly and downwardly `to provide a and is ,adaptedA The latch has a hook 26 with an ap'liroxiniately e n gage the outer face of door plate 15 to limit Cn (e the extent ot this latch increment, and thus serving to establish the latching position ot the latch.

1With the door closed and the latch in latching position (see Fig. 9.) the major portion of element 29 extends horizontally beyond the outer `tace ot door plate l5. and hook 2G is in position to engage cross bar as clearly shown in Fig. 2, this engagement being adapted to hold the door closed until the latch is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by manually lifting handle QS into the position shown in Fig.

The device as so far described is generally similar to that o'l' the aforementioned co-pending application, with the exception that b ar 21 is not here extended to lie along the side of nose PO, as is true in the latch shown in said application.

In the ypresent device, however, portion 3T of handle Q8 is bent to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to body 'portion 2l and inclines inivardly and downwardly from shoulder 36 -so shoulder 3S at the bottom of portion 37 extends transversely trom body portion '2l and preferably, though not necessarily, substantially parallel to the pivotal a'Xis ot' the latch. Shoulder 88 is adapted to lie close to or engage the outer face ot door il, and is preferably ot sui'iicient length to extend horizontally over the parting line 'between door and traine, and u'ell onto traine iron l2, when the door is closed.

Preferably, the terminal of the handle is bent outwi'rdly 'as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, to provide a lip 39 Which lies clear ol the outer tace of the frame so the rhandle maybe easily raised bythe operator. The described bending ot the handle, which brings shoulder 38 into a ,position horizontally off-set from the plane of nose 30 and from the point ot pivotal connection between body member 24rand flange 16, not only stittens member 23, but also prevents the latch from being sprung from keeper bar 2l by pryingor bending horizontally in one direction on the handle portion. It the handle be forced to the lett in Fig. 5, member 23 merely pivots horizontally at 25 (assuming, ot' course, that the handle has some lateral play at its `pivot point) throwing hook 2G to the right on the keeper until flange l5 prevents further horizontal pivotal movement. f

On the other hand, the engagement oit shoulder 88 With the outer tace ot the door andv door trame prevent-s the handle trom being sprung to the right in Fig. 5, and hence-prevents hook'ZG trom being moved laterally oft the tree end ot keeper bar 21. This eliminates'the necessity ot a'terminal lstop on said free end. p

Git coursegit is'not necessary"thatshoulder Ol di,

"3S 'normally engageffameiron 1.2 When the door is closed, though it should lie close thereto, 'for bar 21 is ot such length that the hook remains fully engaged therewith it the latch has only slight horizontal pivotal movement.

rlhe advantage ot thus guarding against malicious 'forcing of the door is obvious.

liihen handle 28 is lifted, shoulder 38 is adapted to engage the inner tace of door plate l5 to limit the counter-clockwise n'iovement ot the latch alter hook 26 clears bar El, and with the parts thus put into position ot Fig. 8, it is obvious that the door may then be swung open by a continued ontvfard pull on handle 28. lNhen the operator releases handle 2S the latch gravitates back to latching position. Upon subsequently' closing the door, no manipulation of the latch is necessary, tor, during closing movement, the cam edge ot nose 30 engagesl the torivard lower edge of bar 21 causing the latch to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction until the door is closed, whereupon nose 30 clears the keeper bar and allows the latch to gravitate back to position o' Fig. 2.

l have illustrated two locking devices Jfor the door. both devices acting directly upon the latch to prevent its movement out ot latching position except by the holder of proper keys or by knowledge of a partieular lock combination. Either or both ot these lock devices may be used in connection ivith a given locker.

l have shown a lock 40, either of combination or key operated typeA` fastened to the side ot the door at ell, and having a usual lock nose Ll2 extending to the outer tace ot door le. Lock 40 has a bolt t3 which, when fully extended, engages or lies in the vpath ot vertically extending shoulder let ol' lock element 29 when the door is closed and the lock is in operating condition, bolt 43 thus being adapted to co-act with element 29 'to prevent the latch from being rotated out ot .latching position.

Element 29 is also provided with an aperture or eye t5 which is adapted to receive the shackle or boltlG ot padlock ll?, it being obvious that the shackleis adaptedto'engage the outer tace ot the doorto prevent rotation ot the latch out of latching position. The body ot thepadlock is adapted to rest on inclined portion 3G, and is thus held from contact with the tace. ot' the door Where it'may be easily grasped and manipulated, and so it may not swing to and tro in a manncrto mar may not siving to and tro in a manner to mar or scratch the doortinish.

lt Will be noted that the latch may be made up ot a single metal stamping, and that its attachment involves only the provision `ol: a narrow lslot in the door and a'single pivotal mounting. lNhile I have specified that the latch'is pivoted on'tlange laandisadapted to oscillate in a plane parallel to thatlange,

it will be understood it lies within the scope of the invention to pivot the latch elsewhere Y on the door, though the illustrated arrangement. is preferre i y It will be understood the drawings and description are to be considered merely as illustrative ot' and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto, for Various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I elaiin: Y

l. In combination, a locker having a door hinged thereto, a keeper on the door franie, an oscillatory latch pivoted on the inside o the door for vertical oscillatory movement, a handle on the latch extending through the door whereby the latch is adapted to be os cillatedy from the outside oi the door into and out of latching engagement with the `keeper, and a shoulder on the handle and horizontally offset from the point of pivotal xconnection between the door and latch, said side of the door shoulder being adapted to lie adjacent the outer face of the door when thelatch is engaged with the keeper.y

2. In'conibinatiom'a locker having a door hinged thereto, a keeper oscillatory latch pivoted onjthe inside of the door for Vertical oscillatory increment, a

Y handle on the latch extending through the door whereby the latch is adapted to be oscillated troni the outside of the door into and out of latching engagement with the keeper, a portion ofsaid handle at the outb'eing bent angularly to bringit into offset horizontal relation with the point of pivotal connection between the door and latch, and a shoulder on said porl tion adapted to lie adjacent the outer face of the door when the latch is engaged with the keeper. n v

In witness that I claiin the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my naine this 22nd day of August 1925.

- JOHN VORLEY, JH.

on the door franie`,` 

